The ASU track and field team currently has 12 marks that rank in the NCAA's top five, including three marks that rank first.
Junior April Kubishta (clearance of 4.20m in the pole vault), senior Latosha Wallace (time of 57.37 in the 400m hurdles) and the women's 4x400 relay team of Wallace, sophomore Shauntel Elcock, senior Bridgette Williams and junior Jacquelyn Johnson (3:36.10) all rank first in the nation.
Junior Kelvin Love Jr., ranks second in the 200m dash (20.73), senior Aaron Aguayo ranks third in the 1500m run (3:43.17), junior Kyle Alcorn ranks fourth in the 1500m run (3:44.03), senior Domenik Peterson ranks fifth in the 200m dash (20.90), junior Marquis Profit ranks fifth in the 400m hurdles (51.91), Wallace ranks second in the 400m dash (53.13), sophomore Sarah Stevens ranks second in the discus (56.39m) and hammer (65.43m) and junior Tai Battle ranks fourth in the discus (53.66m)
The Sun Devils also have seven athletes ranked in the Top 20 in the world.
Wallace leads the way by being ranked second in the 400m hurdles, 16th in the 400m dash and third in the 4x400 team with Williams, Elcock and Johnson.
Love Jr., ranks 11th in the 200m dash, Aguayo ranks 19th in the 1500m run and Kubishta is tied for fifth in the pole vault.
In addition to being ranked No. 1 in the nation and placing first at the Clif Bar Invitational last weekend, the women's 4x400 relay team of Wallace, Williams, Elcock and Johnson also defeated some heavy competition on the way to that victory last weekend.
The Sun Devils defeated the OTC team, which included three-time Olympic medalist Veronica Campbell and Michelle Burgher, who won the bronze in the 4x400 relay in 2004.
The women's team did suffer a minor blow this week as freshman sprinter Jasmine Chaney suffered a stress fracture and will be out 3-4 weeks. She is expected to return in time for the Pac-10 meet in May.
Battle has gotten off to a great start so far this outdoor season by qualifying for the regional meet in three events each of the past two weekends.
She qualified in the hammer, discus and shot put at the Baldy Castillo Invitational two weeks ago and then qualified in all three events again at the Clif Bar Invitational last weekend while improving on her marks in the shot put (14.35m) and discus (53.66m).
Reach the reporter at: gina.mizell@asu.edu.
